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Outline

• Biography of J. S. Bach The Composer’s Composer • Joy and celebration: Brandenburg 3 • Misconceptions about Bach’s music Module 6 of Music: Under the Hood • Analysis of C-sharp Minor Fugue (WTC) • Beam me up, Johann Sebastian John Hooker Carnegie Mellon University

Osher Course September 2018

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Biography Biography

• , 1685-1750 • Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 – Part of large musical family – Details of his life are sketchy. • Children were surrounded by music. • He would have it this way. The • Orphan at age 10, lived with older brother. music was not about him. • Choirboy, but a musical prodigy. • Wrote “INJ” ( In Nomine Jesu ) on • Why did he become the most famous? many of his scores, including secular music. • “I have had to work hard. Anyone who works just as hard will get just as far.” – Difficult relations with employers • Complained of too much work and too little pay.

Bach at age 30 3 4

Biography Biography

• Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 • Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 – Married twice – Liked to have a good time • 7 children with cousin Maria Barbara • Sang barroom songs with friends on Sundays after church • 13 children with Anna Magdalena, met at Köthen – Devoted to family • Half of his children died before adulthood – Became blind in old age • But kept working. • May have been diabetic.

Maria Barbara with 3 of his sons 5 6

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Biography Biography

• Career • Career – Court musician at age 18, . – Court musician at Köthen, – Choir director & organist age 32 at 3 churches, age 20-23 • Got along well with Prince Leopold • Expected to write cantatas for church services • Wrote Brandenburg Concertos for Duke of • Bad relations with Brandenburg employers • Wrote Well-Tempered – Court organist at Weimar, Clavier age 23 • Wrote Toccata and Fugue in D minor Schlo ẞ Köthen

Bach’s house in Weimar 7 8

Biography Biography

• Career • Musical achievement – Church organist and choir – Primary musical task of director in , age 38 Baroque era: • Wrote a cantata every week make abstract music • Wrote St Matthew Passion intelligible and other • Bach indulged in some • Wrote part of numerology to do this. at age 48, finished at age 64 • This didn’t work. • Wrote Art of the Fugue • His main contribution is (unfinished) shortly before highly-structured his death, age 65. counterpoint.

Thomaskirche, Leipzig 9 10

Biography Misconceptions

• What is counterpoint? • Think Bach is always serious? Try these: – Counterpoint consists of several independent – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major musical voices that interact in harmony. • YouTube performance at Schlo ẞ Köthen, where it was • For example, Dixieland music . composed and first performed (with Bach playing viola)! • A metaphor for Western culture. • Check out 3 rd movement, 5:52 • We are individualists but coexist – Coffee Cantata by following the rules. • Father upset because daughter • Bach became all-time master of wants to “drink coffee” with her counterpoint. boyfriend. • Reflects Enlightenment • Coffee = “The Devil’s drink” view that order underlies • Check out scene at 3:25 the complexity of the universe.

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Misconceptions Misconceptions

• Think Bach isn’t emotional? Try these: • Think Bach organ fugues are boring? Try this: – Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor , for solo violin – “Gigue” Fugue in G major for organ • One of the great monuments of Western civilization – Mass in B minor • Likewise.

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C-sharp minor Fugue C-sharp minor Fugue

• Well-tempered Clavier • C-sharp minor fugue – Perhaps greatest music – From Book 1 of WTC. book ever. • A complex fugue for • Unparalleled collection of 5 voices 48 preludes and fugues – Somber mood. • Incidentally, demonstrates • Shows that even the most tempered tuning (but not highly cerebral music equal temperament). can be highly emotional . • Preludes & fugues use • This is the essence of all 24 major & minor keys. Western music.

Bach’s manuscript 15 16

CS1 Countersubject 1 CS1 Exposition Audio file – with graphics S S S Audio file – Episode 1 2nd middle section S S Hélène Grimaud (3:12) Codetta S S CS1

Key: Key: CS1 S Countersubject 2

CS2 Major Section Development Major Section Minor Section Minor Section Episode, Stretto, etc. S Episode, Stretto, etc. CS2 S = subject S = subject CS1 S CS1 = countersubject 1 CS1 = countersubject 1 CS1 CS2 = countersubject 2 CS2 = countersubject 2 S CS2 Episode 2 CS1 S 3rd middle section S S CS1 CS2 CS2

Episode 3 th CS2 4 middle section S S 17 CS1 18 S CS2 CS2

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Episode 4 S CS1 CS2

CS2 CS2 CS1 CS2

CS1 CS2 Recapitulation S CS2 Stretto CS2 S S CS2 CS2 CS2 CS2 S S CS2 S CS2 Episode 6 Key: CS1 Key: CS2 CS2 Major Section CS2 Major Section CS2 Minor Section Minor Section CS2 CS1 Episode, Stretto, etc. Episode, Stretto, etc. Final dominant S = subject S = subject CS1 = countersubject 1 CS1 = countersubject 1 CS2 CS2 CS1 CS2 S CS2 = countersubject 2 CS2 = countersubject 2 Episode 5 CS1 Final statement of subject Coda CS2 CS1 CS2 CS2 CS2 S CS2 CS2

Closing Section Final cadence Plagal cadence S CS1 S S 19 20 CS2 Appogiatura with intense dissonance

Beam me up, Johann Sebastian Beam me up, Johann Sebastian

• Bach’s organ music lifts us • Should music be loud? out of the muck of everyday – In this case, yes! existence. – The power of the music supports the power of the – To a higher state of mind. instrument. – This requires horsepower, both from the instrument and the composer.

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Beam me up, Johann Sebastian Beam me up, Johann Sebastian

• Example: Joy and celebration • Example: An epic journey – Toccata , from Toccata and Fugue in F major. – Fugue , from “Dorian” Toccata and Fugue in D minor • Interweaving voices over pedal point, tonic key (F major) – The subject seems to reach • Multiple suspensions 1:00 for something higher, but • Pedal solo, modulates to dominant key (C major) 1:20 slides back. • Opening material in dominant 1:52 – Metaphor for human struggle • Pedal solo in dominant key, modulates to G major 2:50 through history? • Episode w/ cascading counterpoint, cycles through keys 3:33 – All hell breaks loose in the • Episode, increasing complexity 4:06 closing section. Armageddon? • Episode with cascading counterpoint 4:45 • Deceptive cadence 6:20 • Closing section with powerful descending pedal 7:17 • Coda over C major pedal point, final cadence 7:48 23 24

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